The Hermes A-3B was the last produced and tested vehicle of the U.S. Army Ordnance-General Electric Company sponsored Hermes ballistic missile program of the late 1940's. Like most Hermes vehicles, the A-3B was based upon the German V-2 of World War II.
Hermes A-3B was designed as a tactical surface-to-surface missile carrying a 1,000 lb warhead to a 150 mile range but never achieved that range in practice. It had a thrust of 22,600 pounds. By 1953-1954 six A-3B's were test launched at the White Sands Proving Grounds, New Mexico, five successfully and provided invaluable data towards the development of large-scale missiles in the U.S. The Hermes program was canceled in 1954.
This object was donated to the Smithsonian in 1991 from the U.S. Center of Military History.
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
United States of America
CRAFT-Missiles & Rockets
General Electric Company
Other: 3ft 11in. x 33ft x 8ft 4in., 5139lb. (119.38 x 1005.84 x 254cm, 2331kg)
steel
A19910076000
Transferred from U.S. Army
National Air and Space Museum
Usage conditions apply
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